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The groups, which have been publishing arts stories using the initial money since fall, will expand those efforts. UNC Charlotte will offer classes in criticism and arts writing. A smartphone app will be developed to highlight the consortium’s work.

“To succeed, art requires informed and engaged audiences, and those audiences require news, criticism and information on a regular basis,” NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman said in a statement Thursday. The three winning projects, he said, “are smart solutions that will make a difference in their communities and beyond.”

The other winners, announced Thursday, are in Philadelphia and Detroit. The Art Attack program will draw on students, faculty and staff from Philadelphia’s Drexel University to produce stories for the Philadelphia Daily News.

CriticCar Detroit will be a mobile video recording system that will go to performances and exhibitions and record audiences’ on-the-spot reactions, which will be broadcast online.

“This is great news for Charlotte and its growing arts community,” said Observer editor Rick Thames. “Expect now to see more and better coverage about local arts groups – in print, on the Web, on radio and on TV. That’s good for these groups, and even better for people eager to experience the arts in Charlotte.”